Chapter 40 - The calm before the storm

Nicholas and I sat down beside one another with my friends, before properly introducing them to one another. Despite the tight hand still clenching onto mine beneath the table, his outward appearance was his usual friendly self. It didn't take very long for everyone to become acquainted but it was very much at the surface level, as they were unsure of what to say to get closer. Just as I was about to step in to act as a middle ground, Dimitris spoke up. 

"I see you're both having fun being a couple." He was teasing us but in a friendly way. I knew he was trying to make Nicholas feel much more at ease by involving him in casual conversation. While I was thankful for that, I was somewhat concerned that Nicholas wouldn't take well to it, since he might not be aware of the fact that it was not malicious. It wasn't especially convincing when my hand was continuing to lose blood reaching it. If he wouldn't ease up soon, I'd just have to live with poor blood circulation.

"And what of it?" I spoke up first, sensing that Nicholas wouldn't be the one to step up. 

"Hmm, nothing~ but tone it down a bit. Some of us are single."

"I don't see anyone else complaining." I leaned forward slightly and diverted the attention away from myself and Nicholas. The simplest solution was of course to tease back. I couldn't hide the mischievous smile raising my cheeks.

"Just say that you're lonely. There's no need to beat around the bush, we're all friends here." It worked as intended, as very quickly Dimitris was red with embarrassment, using all of his energy to deny my statement to the best of his ability. But of course, such a defensive stance wasn't going to help him in the slightest. 

"I'm not lonely! I'm single by choice." He didn't say much else but his eyes were yelling at me to keep my mouth shut. He was staring at me with such intensity that it felt as if, at any moment his eyeballs would bulge out of his eye sockets. 

"Of course ~ by that you mean being too worried to take another step forward, right?" Although I was purposefully wording it in a way that was ambiguous for his sake, he instantly put two and two together. The shock painted on his face, coupled with something akin to desperation, was enough to let me know that I had hit the nail on the head. All of this time, we had only assumed what his feelings were but he had finally confirmed his feelings towards Elina. Though she remained just as oblivious as always. We weren't going to make it any easier for him by helping her open her eyes to what was right in front of her. Although we were friends, we were annoying like that. I knew that everyone was of the same opinion as me, clearly written on their face how entertained they were at the moment. 

"How- how did you know?" It didn't take him long to follow my eyes and see everyone else's reaction. He was only ever quick to decipher our expressions at times like these. How else would he react except with pure mortification? 

"Wait... Did you all know?!" Dimitris began whipping his head around rapidly, attempting to read everyone's faces. 

"It's hardly a secret if you're so obvious." The moment I said that, all of the others - with the exception of Elina - began nodding in unison. 

"But I don't know anything about this?" Elina chimed in confusion. 

"Don't worry love.", I let go of Nicholas' hand to hug her and rest my head on her shoulder. "We're just joking around". It was extremely childish to rile someone up in this way, but I couldn't help myself. I was deliberately showing off how close the two of us were while looking at Dimitris with a smug face. 

"You've really got your work cut out for you, huh?" Nicholas finally joined the conversation, seemingly at ease now. It was good to see that he had been able to settle in well enough to feel confident enough to speak up. It didn't take him long to figure out what was happening and join our side to playfully tease Dimitris. 

I turn my head towards him, still holding onto Elina. My smile had gone from one of smugness to one of pride. In the same way that a mother would be proud of her child's every accomplishment, I felt proud that he was able to push aside his earlier anxiety. "That's my baby, you're quick to pick up on things aren't you?" 

"Don't teach him your bad habits!" Dimitris reprimanded me before turning back to Nicholas. "Since we're now friends, I'm going to give you a piece of advice. Never follow in her footsteps, she's just a bad influence."

I let go of Elina. "I am not!" As Dimitris and I began bickering back and forth, I heard Nicholas beginning to laugh quietly along with the others.

"Nicholas." Charlotte called out to him once we had settled down. "What are you studying?"

"Oh, I'm studying swordsmanship." The conversation was flowing naturally and he didn't seem to be pushing himself, at least not to my knowledge.

"Ah, so you're in the same class as Seph. Can I ask why you're studying that? Do you know what you want to do in the future?"

"Well I'm hoping to become an imperial knight, but of course that would depend on my capabilities." He scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment, not wanting to sound smug. "Of course, I have a long way to go. But I don't think I'm doing all that badly at present."

"Adelphos is also training to become a knight." May adds in, trying to get the two of them to converse.

"Oh? How far along are you in your studies?" Nicholas decided to take the initiative to get to know Adelphos better, even if his legs were shaking beneath the table. I reached over with my left hand and squeezed the area just above his knee to remind him that I was still here, that he didn't need to worry. At that he turned to look at me with a small smile that I understood to mean a word of thanks.

"I'm two years above you, so I have around 2 years left. Though, as you're probably aware, depending on how quickly I progress it could be shorter or longer."

He was responding properly but he seemed reluctant to even look at Nicholas while answering. Even stranger than that was his tone which was completely flat. If I couldn't see him, I would have thought he was reciting his response off of some sort of answer sheet. It was aggravating to see him acting this way towards someone who was already worried about being disliked. I'm usually outspoken but I knew that had I said anything, it would have worsened the atmosphere and made everything worse. Reluctantly, I turned my eyes away from the obvious and pretended to be unaware.

"Ahem, anyway... how long have the two of you been together?" Dimitris broke the awkward atmosphere with his sudden question that stunned all of us. I instantly turned my head towards May, confused at why he was asking this. Had she not told him the truth? From the apologetic face she was making, it would appear she had forgotten to do so. Unfortunately he would have to continue to hold this misunderstanding for a while longer, as it wasn't the best place to break the news to him. Being surrounded by popular people such as the Prince and Princess, would undoubtedly draw in people's attention. Even when I couldn't see anyone, I'd have to be cautious. It was the same as walking on a tight rope, waiting for the moment you'd fall.

"It's not been too long. Maybe a month? Isn't that right babe?" It wasn't until I had called out to him again that he finally responded, too out of it to come back to reality otherwise. "Babe?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Yeah it's been just over a month. I can't believe you wouldn't remember." He was back to his usual melodramatic self, pretending to be hurt.

"Do you not even remember our first date at the café? It pains me that you don't seem to care as much as I do."

"Of course I remember. I remember just how anxious you were when we first met. I thought you'd lose your voice from rambling so much in nervousness." I started laughing at the recollection while Dimitris eagerly listened to the story. It was the truth, everything aside from the label between us was genuine.

Nicholas quickly covered his face in shame. "Don't remind me of that." But he just as quickly recovered and raised his face to look at me. "Can you blame me for being nervous when I was meeting someone as beautiful as you?"

Here we go again, I thought before I heard Dimitris pretending to gag.

"Tone it down! I'm going to throw up if I have to hear any more of this lovey-dovey stuff."

"Whatever, you're the one that asked." I brushed aside his complaints.

Before anyone could say anything, Helios suddenly stood up. "I'm going to start heading to class to give myself time to get ready." It was abrupt and he was clearly speaking through gritted teeth.

"Okay..." I respond awkwardly.

"Then... enjoy the rest of your lunch", he says to everyone as a form of farewell, without waiting for a response before leaving. Adelphos hurriedly said his goodbyes before running to catch up to Helios.

Time definitely changed people, but the more days passed, the less I could understand Helios. I was finding it increasingly difficult to decipher his thoughts and actions. He was becoming less and less like someone I knew. It was only after he left that I had realised he hadn't taken part in the conversation at all, aside from his initial introduction. He merely sat in silence, observing. While I couldn't figure out why he was behaving like this, it wasn't my priority. I had to somehow fix this strange tension so that Nicholas wouldn't be uncomfortable. Right now, he was the priority.

"As I was saying Nicholas and I ..."

I was blabbering about all of our encounters while Dimitris was groaning and begging me to stop torturing him. It took a while but I was able to restore the previous atmosphere.